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This isn't just a Honda Civic.
This is the Honda Civic Si.
And if you already have the tea, you
know it comes with more power, better handling, and a bunch
of other features that make it a great performance car and also
a great deal.
Now, if you didn't know that, then
I just poured you a whole cup of tea, and you're welcome.
All right, on a serious note though, if you really
want to know what makes this car really tick,
then stick around because I'm going to dig into it.
By the way, my name is Lauren McCay, and I am from Edmunds.
At Edmunds, we are the car-testing pros.
And we've linked up with the experts
at CarMax to find the right car to fit your needs.
For more information on the Honda Civic Si
and its many competitors, click the link
in the description below.
And while you're down there, click the
like and subscribe button to the CarMax YouTube channel
for more videos just like this.
Now, let's talk about civics.
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Now, this 2020 Si trim is a part of the 10th generation Civic
family.
And mini-sedans just like this also have a coupe available,
and this one does.
So most of what I talk about today,
you're going to be able to apply to the two-door as well.
Nowadays, the Si is overshadowed by its more powerful, crazy big
brother, the Civic Type R. But we
think the Si occupies a sweet spot with the extra performance
you want without the, hey, look at me styling of the Type R.
Now, of course, Honda's competitors know a good thing
when they see it.
Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen all have competition vehicles
that costs a little less.
But if you're going to go for this 10th generation Si,
we recommend the 2020 model.
So why the 2020?
Well, it's a unicorn year.
That year, Honda refreshed the Si
and added the Honda Sensing driver-assist system
as standard equipment.
The Si also got LED headlights and a few other goodies
that year.
And then there was no Si available
for the 2021 model year.
But the driving experience in the earlier models from 2017
to 2019 was basically the same.
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All right, one of the best things about the Civic Si
is right there in the name.
It's a Civic.
That means it benefits from everything
that makes the Civic one of the best in its class.
The control layout is pretty hard to beat,
putting just about everything in the perfect spot.
There's also a big center console bin and even
a hidden storage space under the dash as a useful pass-through
for USB cables.
Now, of course, the Civic Si isn't an ordinary Civic.
The front seats have this aggressive padding
that holds you in tight, but you can still be comfortable
when you're cruising around.
They're even heated, but it would
be nice to have an adjustable lumbar support.
There are other touches that we really like though,
like the red stitching on the seats, the doors, the steering
wheel, the shift knob.
It's everywhere, and we love it.
We also like the red color gauges,
and you can even select fun things
like the G-meter that tells you how hard you're cornering
or your shift light that signals redline.
The rear seat has plenty of legroom,
but tall passengers might wish for a bit more headroom.
I don't really have to worry about that much.
But speaking of the Civics practical side,
you can even fit a rear-facing car seat
and connect it to two latch attachment points,
so that's pretty neat.
Now, we like the expansive view out the front and the side,
but wish it were the same out the back, which
is obstructed by the thick pillars
and smallish rear window.
Like other Civics, the Si compensates
with LaneWatch, a camera that projects
what's on the passenger side of the car from the center
display.
It's helpful, but we'd prefer a blind spot information system
since it gives information about both sides of the car.
All right, back to the practicality side.
The Civic Si offers great trunk space.
The opening is big and wide, and the cargo volume
can be supplemented by just folding down the rear seatbacks
if you need to carry longer objects.
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The Civic is all about making driving more fun,
so it has more power than the regular Civic.
In fact, 31 more horsepower compared to the regular
turbocharged sedan and 47 more than the base engine.
It also comes only with a slick-shifting manual
transmission, a helical limited-slip differential
helps put down the power evenly when accelerating hard
or when powering out of a corner.
The brakes are bigger for better stopping power,
and the suspension is also firmer for better handling.
But wait, there's more.
If you need even sharper handling,
this button right here on the center console
activates into sport mode, firming up
the suspension for even better grip
and making the steering feel heavier.
Now, since it's a sport model, the Si
has a stiffer ride than the regular Civic
and is a little louder inside thanks to the sport exhaust.
But if you're shopping for a sporty car,
those are more like added features, not necessarily
problems.
Another thing Honda added on the 2020 Si models
is something called active sound control.
Now, that's Honda speak for using the car's audio system
to create an artificial engine noise.
Now, this isn't an uncommon feature in some sports cars,
but we're not really fans of it because it just
sounds too unnatural.
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When it comes to the tech inside,
I mentioned earlier that the Si has the Honda Sensing system,
and we think it's a great idea for this type of sporty car.
It adds adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist,
automatic emergency braking, and so much more.
So in our opinion, it makes this particular model year worth
looking for.
I'm also a huge music buff, so I can't forget this 7-inch touch
screen that controls the radio and so many other functions.
With 10 speakers, the audio is solid,
but we don't really like the confusing and slow interface
here on the screen.
Now, get this.
In 2019, the Si then did not even
come with a volume control, which, to me, is wild.
Anyway, the good news is that Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto are standard.
So you can just plug-in your smartphone
and operate your phone's apps directly from the touch screen,
but just ignore that so-so factory interface.
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So if you haven't guessed already,
we really like the Civic Si.
It's fun to drive, quick, looks cool,
and it has some street cred with the car enthusiasts.
In addition to all of that, it's a Civic.
So it's practical, comfortable, and even good on gas.
All right, I'm going to stop talking about it
and gassing it up.
I want to know what you think of the Civic Si.
Leave us a comment below, and see you next time.